Vending machine



April 28, 1931- F. L. yMILLS 1,802,981

VENDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 30, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet l i l l L'. 7 47 EL.

5| ANU 'Mza g'lilll April 28, 1931. M|| 1,802,981

VENDING MACHINE Filed Deo. 30, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 liv'- Aprilv 28, 1931. F. L. Ml'1 `Ls 1,802,981

VENDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 3u, 192e 4 sheets-sheet s f Ml,

April 28, 1931. l F, MlLLS' 1,802,981

- VENDING MACHINE Filed Deo. 50, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRED L. MILLS, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASS-IGNOR TO MILLS NOVELTY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS VENDING MAcHiNE Application filed December 30, 1926. Serial No. 157,891.

'lhis invention relates to vending machines and an important object thereof is the provision in a machine oi' this character of a ro-l tatable dispensing element, together with coin-actuated mechanism for controlling the operation o't` said element to cause the same to deliver predetermined numbers or quantities ot the articles to be dispensed for each coin inserted.

The invention resides in the combination ot elements going to make up the machine and in the specific construction employed, as hereinafter described and claimed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following` description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a vending machine in which my invention is embodied, 1parts thereof being broken away for convenience in illustration;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the machine with the back ot the casing removed;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane 3 3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is anenlarged elevational and sectional view of certain of the parts shown in Fig. 2, the same being shown at different stages in the operation;

Y Fig. 5 is a detail of the ratchet mechanism showing the manner in which the same is automatically disengaged at the end of each vending operation;

Fig. 6 is a sectional and elevational view taken substantiallyyon the section line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectiontaken substantially along the line 7-7 in Fig. 1.

Upon said drawings, illustrating the best manner in which I have thus far contemplated applying the principles of my invention, the reference character 11 indicates a front plate secured to side members 12, a baseA 13 and a top 14 of a machine casing which is closed 'at the rear by means of a backboard 15, as shown in Fig. 7. Said front plate 11 is provided with transparent panels tion with said opening, whereby said hollow frame part may be filled with the articles'to be dispensed, which are visible through the glass panel 17, and through panels 211 and arranged in frontot a passageway 26 eX- tending downwardly from the upper receiving part 27 of said hollow1 frame to an aperture 28 formed at the lower end of said pas-' sageway and opening into a compartment 29 of said hollow frame part, the lowerv part 0f said compartment being concave, as indicated at 31 in Fig. 1 and a dispensing wheel 32 being mounted for rotation in said compartment and being visible through the panel 16. Said dispensing wheel is preferably designed to give the appearance of a windmillwheel and the vanes thereof are provided with li't'ts 33, adapted to carry the articles to be dispensed (in the present instance mint balls, as indicated at 34) from the bottom of the compartment 29 into which they are 'delivered through the aperture 28 upwardly to a discharge opening 35 in aside wall 36 of said hollow frame. The articles are adapted to be received from said discharge opening into a passageway .37leading to a spout 38 provided exteriorly on the front plate 11. A tray 39 is secured to said front plate beneath said spout in the well-known manner. For the purpose of automatically closing the opening 35 in case effort should be made to pilier from the machine by tilting the same or turning it to a position on its side, I provide a guard 41, pivoted at 42 to the frame,-

a weight 43 being secured to a lateral eXtension of' said pivot 42 and being adapted to move said guard to closing position when the machine is tilted sideways.

The mechanism whereby this movement is4 effected is adapted to be operated by means of a crank handle 45 protruding from the front of the plate 11 and carried uponv a shaft 40, journaled in a bearing member47, said shaft carrying at the rear end 'thereof 'a pinion 48, meshing with a gear 49, which, as shown, is a segmental or mutilated gear, the form and purpose of which will be presently described. A bar 51 is secured to the side of said gear near the periphery thereof, as indicated at 52, and at its upper end is pivoted at to a slide 54, mounted for vertical movement upon a fixed biacket 55, to which it is secured by means of screws 56 extending through a slot 57 formed in said slide 54. A coin-engagingmember 58 is pivotally connected with the upper end of said slide 54 by .means of a pivot pin 59, upon which are mounted suitable spacing collars 01, held in place by cotter pin 62. The lower end ot the bar 51 is formed with a right angle eX- tension 63, to the outer end of which a spring 04, anchored at to the frame, is secured. This spring serves to normally hold the slide 54 in the up position and to maintain the gear 49 in the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Rotation of the crank handle rotates said gear 49 in clockwise direction, thereby moving the bar 51. slide 54 and coin engaging niember 58 downwardly. as shown in Fig-.4. rl`his movement is ine'liective unless a coin has first been inserted in a slot 66 in thel iront plate 11 and assumed the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings, in which the coin is indicated by the referencev character G7. The course of the coin from the slot is indicated in F ig. 6 of the drawings, from which it will be seen that the same is directed through a guideway 68 into a curved slot 69 in a slot member 71, which is formed with a vertical slot 72 opening into the coin slot G9 and having disposed therein an end of a. coin-actuated lever 73, pivoted at 74 to the rear side of the hollow frame part 18. The coin-engaging member 58 has a right angle extension 75 thereon, which is normally disposed in said slot 72 above the lever 73 and at one side thereof, as shown clearly in.

Fig. 0. Said member 58 is suitably weighted,

tion 75 is normally held in the slot 72. The

shape or the coin slot 09 is such as to direct the coin between the members 75 and 73, as indicated by dotted lines in said Fig. 6. The coin thus positioned, operatively connects said members 58 and 73 so that downward movement of the former eitected by rotation of the crank 45, will produce corresponding movement of the outer end ot said lever 73, thus turning the saine upon its pivot 74.

Formed integrally with the lever 7 3 is a plate 77, which is slotted, as indicated at 78, and arranged in said slot is a shaft 7 9 upon the forward end of which the wheel or dispensing' element 32 is secured.V A notched disk 81 is rigidly secured to said shaft, inwardly from the plate 77, and a ratchet wheel 82 is also secured thereto for a purpose which will presently appear. A lever 83v is pivotally secured at 84 to an extension 85 of the plate 77 and formed beyond said pivot 84 with projections 8G and 87, to the former of which is secured a bar 88 and to the lattervoif which is secured a spring 89, the opposite end of which is attached to an extension 91 `upon the plate extension 85. Said lever 83 carries at its end a stud, or projection, 92 adapted to engage in notches 93 formed in the disk 81, towards which said stud is urged by meansr of the spring 89. The bar 88 is slotted at its outer end, as indicated at 94, and a stud 95 upon the bar 51 is disposed in said slot 94, thus Aproviding a lost motion connection between the bars 88 and 51. A spring 96 is connected at one end to the lower side of the plate 77 and at the opposite end to the frame, as indicated at 97. This spring serves to hold the lever 73 in raised position and the spring 89 serves to hold the lever 83 in its inner position with the stud 92 arranged to engage within one of the notches 93 in the disk 81.

A ratchet 98 is pivotally mounted adjacent the ratchet wheel 82 andis connected by a spring 99 with a ratchet member 101 pivotally mounted adjacent the gear 49.

Referring to Fig. 0, it will be noted that a member 102, pivoted at 103 adjacent the coin slot, has a finger 104 disposed within said. slot and yieldably held therein by means of a spring 105 connected at one end to a projection 106 on said member and at the opposite end to the outer side of the slot member, as indicated at 107. This finger is beveled, as indicated at 108, so that it may be moved out of the way as the coin descends, said coin after passing said finger being directed through a curved portion 109 of the slot and thence into a receptacle, generally indicated at 111. The finger 104 prevents the coins from coming out in case the machine is tilted or turned upside down.

The back member 15 of the casing is removable, being normally locked in place by means of` a lock 112 and it will also be observed that the door 23 of the filling opening n n u u is provided with a lock 113,- so that the machine may be filled as occasion may require.

Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in F ig. 2 of the drawings, with a coin arranged between the members 58 and 73, the operation is as follows.

The crank handle 45 is turned, thereby rotating the pinion 48, which, being intermeshed with the segmental gear 49, rotates the latter from the position sho-wn in said F ig. 2 to substantially the position shown in Fig. 4. Said gear 49 being connected with the slide 54 by means of the bar 51, moves said slide downwardly when operated as just described, and the motion of said slide is imparted to the coin 67 through the member 58, the extension 7 5 of which is in engagement with said coin. The coin acts upon the lever 73, pushing the same downwardly and lifting the plate 77 which, as above explained, carries the pivoted member S3, the stud 92 thereon being disposed within one or" the recesses S2 of the disk 8l, whereby the latter is rotated a quarter turn for each depression of the lever 73. This,o1" course, rotates the wheel, or dispensing element 32, sutliciently to lift the candy, or other articles to be dispensed, from the inlet opening 2S to the discharge opening 35, as will be apparent upon viewing Fig. 1f. Inasmuch as the panels 16 and 17 are transparent, the articles may be seen by the operator of the machine prior to their reaching the dispensing element, which may serve as an inducement to continued operation, as particularly desired articles may be seen in the chute 26 or magazine thereabove thereby causing the operator to insert additional coins and repeat the operation of the machine until such articles are obtained.

The ratchet members 98 and 101 serve to prevent reverse movement of the wheel 32, or of the gear 49, until the latter has been moved to the position shown in Fig.' 4 of the drawings. lt will be noted that the teeth ot said gear 49 are interrupted, as indicated at 114, at which point one of said teeth is omitted and when the ratchet member 101 enters the enlarged space thus provided, it is permitted to turn on its pivot, as shown in F ig. 5, and rides idly over the teeth ot the gear 49 as the latter is restored to normal position by means of the spring 64, which acts thereon upon release of the crank handle 45. As the'bar 51 is thus raised, it is also moved to the left, viewing Figs. 2 and 4, by rotation of the gear 49 and when the stud 95 reaches the end ot the slot 94 in the member 88, the latter is moved to the left against the tension of the spring 89, thus turning the member 83 on its pivot and re` moving the stud 92 from the recess 93 in the disl; 81. the plate 77 to return to the position shown rin Fig. 2, thus raising the lever 73 and ar- This permits said member 83 and r sacriiicing all of its material advantages,

the tormhereinbeiore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

l. A vending machine, comprising a carrier, coin-controlled actuating means theref for adapted to move the same a predetermined distance, the carrier then remaining in the new position, and means for automatically re"urning said actuating means to initial position, the same being operable upon the insertion og another coin to again actuate said carrier, said actuating means includingl a lever and means associated therewith for operatively connecting the same to said carrier, said lam-mentioned means being connected with said automatic return means and thus adapted to be disengaged by operation of the latter.

2. A vending machine, comprising a carrier, coin-controlled actuating means therefor adapted to move lthe same a predetermined distance, the carrier then remainingl in the new position, and means for automatically returning said actuating means xto initial position, the same being operable upon.

the insertion of another coin to actuate said carrier, said actuating means including a lever and means pivotally mounted thereon for operatively connecting the same to said carrier,.said last-mentioned means being connected with said automatic return means and f hus adapted to be disengaged by operation of the latter.

3. A vending machine, comprising a carrier, coin-controlled actuating means therefor adapted to move the same a predetermined distance, the carrier then remaining' in the new position,- and means for automatically reurning said actuating` means to ini- `tial position, the same being operable upon the insertion of another coin to actuate saidA carrier, said actuating means including a lever and means pivotally mount-ed thereon for operatively connecting the same to said carrier, said last-mentioned means being connected with said automatic return means and thus adapted to be disengaged by operation of the latter, said pivotally mounted means being yieldingly urged into operative relation to said carrier.

4. A vending machine, comprising a carrier, coin-controlled actuating means therefor adapted to move the same a predetermined distance, the carrier then remaining in the new position, and means for automatically returning said actuating means to initial position, the same being operable upon the insertion of another coin to again actuate said carrier, said actuating means including a lever and means associated therewith for operatively connecting the same to said carrier, said last-mentioned means being yieldingly urged into operative relation to said carrier and connected with said automatic return means, being thus adapted to be disengaged by operation of the latter.

5. A vending machine, comprising a carrier, coin-controlled actuating means therefor adapted to move the same a predetermined distance, the carrier then remaining in the newposition, and means for automatically returning said actuating means to initial position, thesame being operable upon the insertion of another coin to again actuate said carrier, said actuating means including a lever and means associated therewith for operatively connecting the same to said carrier, said last-mentioned means having a lost motion connection with said automatic return means and thus being adapted to be moved out of operative relation to said carrier at a predetermined stage in the operation of said return means.

G. A vending machine comprising a dispensing element, a coin actuated member operatively connectible therewith for operating the same, manually operable mechanism adapted to be coin connected with said memher, and means having ay lost motion connection with said mechanism for breaking the operative connection oi' said actuating member and dispensing element at a predetermined stage in the operation.

7. A vending machine comprising a dispensing element, a coin actuated member operatively connectible therewith for operating the same, manually operable mechanism adapted to be coin connected with said member, and means connected with said mechanism for breaking the operative connection of said actuating member and dispensing element at a predetermined stage in the operation, said manually operable mechanism comprising a gear, means for rotating the same, a slide provided with means for engagingl an inserted coin and imparting movement thererhrouoh to the coin actuated member above mentioned and a connection between said slide and an outer part of said gear, whereby rotation of the latter operates the machine.

S. A vending machine comprising a dispensing element, a coin actuated member operatively connectible therewith for operating the same, manually operable mechanism adapted to be coin connected with said member, and means connected with said mechanism for breaking the operative connection of said actuating member and dispensing element at a predetermined sta-ge in the opera-I tion, said manually operable mechanism comprising a gear, means for rotating the same, a slide. provided with means for engaging an inserted coin and imparting movement therethrough to the coin actuated member above mentioned, a crack member connecting said slide and an outer part of said gear, whereby rotation of the latter operatesthe machine, a pivotal member for connecting said coin actuated member with said dispensing element, and a member connected to said pivotal meinber and to said crank member whereby operation o-t kthe latter operates the pivotal member breaking the connection with said dispensing element.

9. A 'vending machine comprising a dispensing element, a coin Aactuated member operatively connectible therewith for operating the same, manually operable mechanism adapted to be coin connected with said member, and means connected with said mechanism for breaking the operative connection of said actuating member and dispensing element at a predetermined stage in the operation, said manually operable mechanism comprising a gear, means for rotating the same, a slide provided with means for engaging an inserted coin and imparting movement therethrough to the coin actuated member above-mentioned, a crank member connecting said slide and an outer part of said gear, whereby rotation of the latter operates the machine, a pivotal member for connecting said coin actuated member with said dispensing element and a member providing` a lost motion connection between said pivotal member and crank member whereby the former is operated at a predetermined stage in the operation of the latter. p 10. A vending machine comprising a dispensing element, a coin actuated member operatively connectible therewith for `operating the same, manually operable mechanism adapted to be coin connected with said member, and means connected with said mechanism for breaking the operative connection of said actuating member and dispensing element at a predetermined stage in the operation, said manually operable mechanism comprising a gear, means for rotating the same, a slide provided with means for engaging an inserted coin and imparting movement therethrough to the coin actuated member above mentioned and a connection between said slide and an outer part of said gear, whereby rotation of the latter operates the machine, the parts of the machine being spring returned to normal position after operation.

ll. A vending machine'comprising a dispensing element, coin controlled means for operating the same, and ratchet mechanism for preventing return of the operating means to normal position until after a complete operation, said mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel having teeth interrupted at a predetermined point, a ratchet member engaging the teeth of said Wheel during rotation of the latter in one direction and adapted to be disengaged therefrom upon reaching,- said predetermined point thereby permittingreturn of said Wheel to initial position, another ratchet associated With said dispensing element and a spring connection between said ratchets.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification.

FRED L. MILLS. 

